7 days in Melbourne

Day by day

1. Day 1: Federation Square and Flinders Street Station and Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways

   Federation Square and Flinders Street Station and Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways, then Chinatown in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Federation Square and Flinders Street Station

      Melbourne CBD · 1–2 hours · free.

   2. Late morning

      Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways

      Melbourne CBD · 2–3 hours · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Specialty coffee and the 'magic'

      Laneway cafés around Degraves Street and Centre Place, and roasters in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Brunswick.

   4. Evening

      Chinatown

      Come hungry in the evening, when the lanes off Little Bourke Street fill with diners and neon.

2. Day 2: Queen Victoria Market and State Library Victoria

   Queen Victoria Market and State Library Victoria, then Melbourne Skydeck in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Queen Victoria Market

      Melbourne CBD · 1–2 hours · free.

   2. Late morning

      State Library Victoria

      Melbourne CBD · 1 hour · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Melbourne brunch

      Cafés in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, South Yarra and Brunswick; arrive early at weekends.

   4. Evening

      Melbourne Skydeck

      Arrive about an hour before sunset to see the city in daylight and again as the lights come on.

3. Day 3: SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and Old Melbourne Gaol

   SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and Old Melbourne Gaol, then Melbourne Cricket Ground in the evening.

   1. Morning

      SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

      Melbourne CBD · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced.

   2. Late morning

      Old Melbourne Gaol

      Melbourne CBD · 1.5 hours · mid-priced.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dim sim

      South Melbourne Market, where the dim sims are a local institution, plus fish-and-chip shops and sports grounds.

   4. Evening

      Melbourne Cricket Ground

      If you are in town between March and September, go to an AFL game: the crowd teaches you more about Melbourne than any tour.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles

   About 4 hours each way along the coast each way. Getting there: Car or organised coach tour.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles

      About 4 hours each way along the coast (Car or organised coach tour); about 270 km.

   2. Day

      Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles

      It is a very long day; staying a night in Lorne or Apollo Bay lets you add rainforest walks in the Otways and see the Apostles at sunset.

   3. Evening

      Back in Melbourne

      Dinner: try Souvlaki.

5. Day 5: National Gallery of Victoria and Royal Botanic Gardens

   National Gallery of Victoria and Royal Botanic Gardens, then St Kilda foreshore and pier in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Gallery of Victoria

      Southbank · 2–3 hours · free. Major exhibitions use timed tickets that can sell out at weekends; the free collection needs no booking.

   2. Late morning

      Royal Botanic Gardens

      South Yarra · 1–3 hours · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Souvlaki

      The Greek precinct on Lonsdale Street in the CBD, Eaton Mall in Oakleigh, and late-night shops across the inner suburbs.

   4. Evening

      St Kilda foreshore and pier

      Arrive around dusk to see the little penguins return to the breakwater; keep your voice down and never use a camera flash.

6. Day 6: Day trip to Phillip Island

   About 2 hours by car each way. Getting there: Car or evening coach tour.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Phillip Island

      About 2 hours by car (Car or evening coach tour); about 140 km.

   2. Day

      Phillip Island

      Daytime stops include the Koala Conservation Reserve, the Nobbies boardwalk and the Grand Prix motorcycle circuit.

   3. Evening

      Back in Melbourne

      Dinner: try Chicken parma.

7. Day 7: Shrine of Remembrance and Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building

   Shrine of Remembrance and Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building, then Brunswick Street and Fitzroy in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Shrine of Remembrance

      Kings Domain · 1 hour · free.

   2. Late morning

      Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building

      Carlton · 2–3 hours · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Chicken parma

      Pubs across the city, especially in Richmond, Fitzroy and Carlton.

   4. Evening

      Brunswick Street and Fitzroy

      Walk from Gertrude Street up Brunswick Street, then cut across to Smith Street in Collingwood for dinner.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for National Gallery of Victoria before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 7 nights, Melbourne CBD keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Southbank ($$$$) suits couples, luxury, culture and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 23–35 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.6 hours in June to 14.8 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Melbourne
• 2 days in Melbourne
• 3 days in Melbourne
• 4 days in Melbourne
• 5 days in Melbourne

Questions travellers ask